The present invention relates to the field of baling fibrous materials and more particularly to a baling chamber assembly for a baling press. In even greater particularity the invention may be described as an improved baling chamber utilizing horizontally pivoting baling doors which are positionally controlled by the operating parameters of the baling press.
The basic configuration of the single box up-packing baler having a hinged charging box operating below floor level is well known. In the past, single box up-packing balers had a serious drawback in that the wrapping material for the bottom of the bale had to be manually placed on the bottom platen of the press just before the last charge. This was done by an operator lowering himself into the charging box of the press and placing the lower half of the wrapping material on the moving platen underneath the fiber which was held in position by dogs. This operation was especially dangerous with automated baling equipment inasmuch as either upward movement of the ram or the closing of the charging door would be disastrous.
Previous baling chamber assemblies have utilized doors which were vertically hinged, as for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,072. Some baling chambers of this type construction presented hazards to the machine operator inasmuch as the high compression forces had the ability to kick the door open as the operator attempted to open the door. This unexpected release of the compressive force, especially when the bale was warped in an S or C shaped bow in the chamber, has resulted in serious injury. It is thus desirable to release some of the lateral pressure on the forming bale during the final compression. Also, when vertically hinged doors have been utilized the doors typically open at one end of the bale, thus releasing the lateral pressure unevenly across the face of the bale.
It is also important to be able to charge as much fiber as possible into the charging box below floor level. In so doing fiber is left in the area between the means for delivering lint to the baler and the charge door, which must be closed to form the charging box on the baler. This presents a major problem in operating this type of press inasmuch as this mass of fiber must be severed, which presents a problem about as difficult as biting through steel.